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Prosecutors demand death penalty for man charged with raping, killing 20-month-old baby

December 1, 2021
This July 14, 2021, file photo shows a 29-year-old man, surnamed Yang, coming out of Dunsan Police Station in Daejeon, about 165 kilometers south of Seoul, after being investigated on charges of raping and killing a 20-month-old baby girl. (Yonhap)

This July 14, 2021, file photo shows a 29-year-old man, surnamed Yang, coming out of Dunsan Police Station in Daejeon, about 165 kilometers south of Seoul, after being investigated on charges of raping and killing a 20-month-old baby girl. (Yonhap)

Prosecutors on Wednesday demanded the death penalty for a man charged with raping and killing the 20-month-old daughter of his live-in girlfriend.

The 29-year-old man, surnamed Yang, allegedly killed the baby girl for not stopping crying on the night of June 15 by covering her with a blanket and punching and stomping on her for about an hour while drunk at his home in Daejeon, about 165 kilometers south of Seoul.

He was also charged with raping the toddler before beating her to death.

Yang and his girlfriend, surnamed Jeong, hid the victim’s body in an ice box in their bathroom.

He was also charged with committing theft while on the run from police.

Prosecutors requested capital punishment for Yang, saying he “committed an act that cannot be done even to animals and showed extreme contempt for life.”

They also asked the court to order him to go through 15 years of chemical castration treatment and wear a tracking device for 45 years, ban him from working at child-related facilities for 10 years and disclose his identity.

“The victim had her life ended at such an early age and cannot be brought back to life no matter what punishment the accused receives,” they said.

For Jeong, prosecutors sought five years of imprisonment on charges of hiding her daughter’s body, asking the court to consider the fact that she was also Yang’s victim and in a mental state in which it was difficult for her to reject his orders.

In the final statement, Yang said he apologizes to the baby and her bereaved family, and repents for his behavior.

The court will deliver its ruling on the case on Dec. 22.